How to Make a Prom Flower Bouquet

By Suzie Faloon; Updated September 21, 2017

You or your fund-raising group can make your own prom flower bouquets to raise funds or save money for this year's event. A nosegay or petite bouquet made with flowers from your garden is easy to carry. There will be no concern over tears in your gown from a corsage pin or florist wire and no uncomfortable wrist corsage to deal with. The simple prom bouquet can be set into a vase of water or hung to dry for a memento of the occasion. Roses, carnations, daisies, orchids and other favorite flowers are appropriate for a hand-held prom bouquet that matches your gown.

Hand-Held Bouquet

Hold the main flower that you have chosen in your hand. The main flower could be a rose, lily or carnation. Place a leaf, fiddle head fern stem or flower bud stem behind it. Cut the stems at 4 inches long. Use wire cutters if you are working with silk flowers.

Wrap the two stems together with floral tape. This tape will stick to itself when stretched and wrapped tightly in a diagonal motion. Simply secure them together since you will be wrapping the entire set of stems later.

Add more flowers to the small prom bouquet and wrap them with the floral tape.

Wrap the entire set of stems completely from the top of the hand-held bouquet to the bottom tip of the stems without breaking the tape off. Start back up the stem with one or two wraps around the tip. Tear off the tape, leaving a an inch-long piece.

Hold the end of the ribbon near the end of the tape-wrapped stems. Wrap the loose end of the tape over the end of the ribbon and around the stems. This will hold the end of the ribbon in place. Wrap the ribbon on a slight diagonal down to the end of the stems. Wrap ribbon back up over itself and continue up the stems, over the taped-wrapped ribbon to hide it and up to the top of the stems. You should have a smoothly wrapped stem column. Carefully hot glue or pin the ribbon into the stems at the top. Cut the ribbon.

Cut a 10-inch piece of ribbon. Firmly tie a shoelace-type bow near the top of the stems to secure the ribbon.

Simple Bouquet

Gather the small bouquet of flowers that you have chosen. You could use half a dozen sweetheart roses or miniature carnations mixed with babies breath, statice or asters. Cut each stem to 5 inches in length, on a slant, with a sharp knife or garden shears. Use wire cutters on the wire-filled stems of silk flowers.

Hold the prom bouquet firmly at the top of the stems. Place a cloth-covered elastic pony tail holder over the bottom of the stems and bring it up to the top of the stems. Wrap the elastic holder until it tightly secures the stems together. The pony tail holder should be green, a matching color to the ribbon or your gown. Set the flowers in a small vase or glass of clean, room-temperature water.

Cut a piece of ribbon 10 inches long. Tie a knot in the center of it. Set aside.

Hold the end of another piece of ribbon in your hand. Form a 3-inch loop with it. Pinch then twist the ribbon and form a second loop opposite the first one. Repeat this process until you have six loops.

Pick up the knotted piece of ribbon while continuing to hold the bow in one hand. Hold the knot over the center of the bow in your hand. Wrap the two tails of the ribbon around to the back of the bow. Tie the ribbon at the back of the bow to tightly secure the loops. Tie a firm knot at the back. Tie the ribbon around the prom bouquet stems when you are ready to leave for the prom. Dab the stems with a paper towel to keep water spots from marring your gown.

Things You Will Need

Fresh or silk flowers

Scissors or wire cutters

Floral tape

Ribbon or lace 1/2 inch wide

Ponytail holder elastics

Tip

You can add a decorative jeweled pin to the hand-held prom bouquet for a personal touch.

Warning

When using cut flowers from your garden be sure there are no little travelers such as worms, beetles and spit-bugs nestled in the petals.

References

Resources

About the Author

Suzie Faloon is a freelance writer who has written online content for various websites. As a professional crafter and floral designer, Faloon owned a florist business for nearly 25 years. She completed the Institute of Children's Literature course in 1988.